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The Cost of Discipleship

What does it mean to be Jesus disciple. Here is a blog I posted today during my study for an upcoming sermon. What do you think? How far are we willing to go in being a follower of the Master of Mercy; the suffering servant?

Re: The Cost of Discipleship

Great post! If we know that everything we are and have are His, even down to the next breath we take, what do we have left to give? It's just that we forge that important point, and we hold back from God's perfect will and plan. I live today because my Father has granted me more time on this planet, may I live to glorify His Holy Name!

blessings to you

My soul does GLORIFY the LORD, my spirit REJOICES in GOD MY SAVIOUR------"To be entirely safe from the devils snares the man of God must be completely obedient to the Word of the Lord. The driver on the highway is safe, not when he reads the signs but when he obeys them."A.W.Tozer

Re: The Cost of Discipleship

Originally Posted by Indueseason

Great post! If we know that everything we are and have are His, even down to the next breath we take, what do we have left to give? It's just that we forge that important point, and we hold back from God's perfect will and plan. I live today because my Father has granted me more time on this planet, may I live to glorify His Holy Name!

blessings to you

Amen sister! Until the race is fully run, and the battle fully won, our Lord will provide us with what we require to finish in a way that brings glory to His name! Amen!

Re: The Cost of Discipleship

I used the words near the end of the message to write a contract called "Terms of peace with Jesus Christ"

It looks something like this

-----------------------------
Terms of Peace with the Lord Jesus Christ

I, NAME, on the day of DATE hereby transfer ownership of
All that I am,
All that I have,
To all that you are, Jesus.
My life is no longer my life, it is your life.
My time is no longer my time, it is your time.
My possessions are no longer my possession, but your possessions.
My future is no longer my future, but it is your future.
My treasure is no longer my treasure, but your treasure.
I transfer all that am and all that I have to all that you are, Jesus.

I do this in full faith of my Lord Jesus Christ.

SIGNATURE

------------------------

My life has never been the same since I prayed over this and made this decision.

there are times i find myself straying and i bring this back out and read it. This is a lifelong commitment, but the Lord is good to remind me of it daily.

If we, with a true heart, pray this for our life. God is faithful to bless us and conform our life to Jesus. I fear this covenant and treasure it. I may experience personal suffering because of it, but God promises He will bless it. Satan has been our master so long that our ways creep in, but we have been elected to be conformed into the image of Christ and He will complete a good work in us.

Re: The Cost of Discipleship

Originally Posted by lovex

You have really inspired me.... I hope you don't mind if I copy you in this prayer that you've committed to God.
Thank you, friend.

I praise God that He has touched your life in such a wonderous way. I will pray for you. And please pray for me. May everything you do bring glory to the Lord!
After all, that is our purpose for being alive. To give God glory and that He may find it pleasing to Himself.

Re: The Cost of Discipleship

Originally Posted by Noonzie

It will cost you everything. What a deal, I'LL TAKE IT!!
This video really does a good job of relaying that message

Wonderful! Couldn't have said it better myself... and I have and routinely do try! exactly right on, this is excellent I'm preaching that text this coming Sunday in fact. This is a real blessing to me. Thanks for sharing it.

The prosperity Gospel that Jesus spoke of is burning the treasures of this world and possessing all things in Christ!

From my sermon notes for this coming Sunday:

Jesus did not come to bring peace to this world. He brings a sword. The Gospel often separates men and women, mother and father, sister and brother.

For the believer the Gospel is paramount. All of our affections radiate out from the epicenter of faith. I grew up in California so the analogous language of an earthquake is very familiar to me. When an earthquake strikes it begins at one focus point where the tectonic plates have accumulated enough pressure and finally give way to a violent explosion of energy. That very spot where the quake begins is the epicenter. From there huge amounts of destructive force are thrust outward in waves of energy. So it is with us. When love for Christ erupts in our hearts waves of His love travel throughout our lives, transforming every area of our life. His love brings destruction to sinful habits. His love crushes idolatrous worship of the many false gods in our lives. His love forces change in our lives because of the immensity of the power of it!

Love of this life separates from Christ. It keeps Him at bay. The love of Christ, on the other hand, violently removes our grip on love of this life. Have you ever had to remove a small child’s hand from something that was potentially or certainly destructive for that child? When you begin peeling the child’s hands off of the item which, unbeknownst to him or her will surely hurt them, they begin to scream, they fight against it, they don’t understand. They think you are trying to cause them pain when in fact your force is intended to save them.
The love of Christ is violent. God hates those things that come against His glory and our knowing Him. You see, God is calling for our Phileo, affection of the heart. Of the possible Greek words which could have been employed to express the idea of love in this passage, Phileo is used. Unlike Agape love, which is more commonly used to describe the love of and for God, which implies more of a dedicated love, the writer records the word Phileo in this instance.

God wants not only our commitment but the affection of our heart. He wants not only obligatory religious ritual. He wants our hearts.

The Pastor's Study
“The easiest way to keep a broken vessel full is to keep the faucet constantly running.” – DL Moody

Re: The Cost of Discipleship

Originally Posted by PilgrimPastor

Wonderful! Couldn't have said it better myself... and I have and routinely do try! exactly right on, this is excellent I'm preaching that text this coming Sunday in fact. This is a real blessing to me. Thanks for sharing it.

The prosperity Gospel that Jesus spoke of is burning the treasures of this world and possessing all things in Christ!

From my sermon notes for this coming Sunday:

Jesus did not come to bring peace to this world. He brings a sword. The Gospel often separates men and women, mother and father, sister and brother.

For the believer the Gospel is paramount. All of our affections radiate out from the epicenter of faith. I grew up in California so the analogous language of an earthquake is very familiar to me. When an earthquake strikes it begins at one focus point where the tectonic plates have accumulated enough pressure and finally give way to a violent explosion of energy. That very spot where the quake begins is the epicenter. From there huge amounts of destructive force are thrust outward in waves of energy. So it is with us. When love for Christ erupts in our hearts waves of His love travel throughout our lives, transforming every area of our life. His love brings destruction to sinful habits. His love crushes idolatrous worship of the many false gods in our lives. His love forces change in our lives because of the immensity of the power of it!

Love of this life separates from Christ. It keeps Him at bay. The love of Christ, on the other hand, violently removes our grip on love of this life. Have you ever had to remove a small child’s hand from something that was potentially or certainly destructive for that child? When you begin peeling the child’s hands off of the item which, unbeknownst to him or her will surely hurt them, they begin to scream, they fight against it, they don’t understand. They think you are trying to cause them pain when in fact your force is intended to save them.
The love of Christ is violent. God hates those things that come against His glory and our knowing Him. You see, God is calling for our Phileo, affection of the heart. Of the possible Greek words which could have been employed to express the idea of love in this passage, Phileo is used. Unlike Agape love, which is more commonly used to describe the love of and for God, which implies more of a dedicated love, the writer records the word Phileo in this instance.

God wants not only our commitment but the affection of our heart. He wants not only obligatory religious ritual. He wants our hearts.

Sounds like a good hard hitting sermon. Very few pastors will preach stuff like this because they are more worried about offending their congregation. But love is when you tell the truth and not hide who God really is and who we really are. It is frightening to me how many people that call themselves Christian are really just practicing idol worship. They worship a god that they have made and are ignorant of the true God. If they truly know the attributes of God, they find out that they actually hate God. Keep serving your church in truth and love. We need to know who Christ really is so we can come to a true heart of worship.

I would also suggest watching a great 4 part series by Paul Washer called "The Son's Gory". It reveals so much about who Christ is. Most peoples view of Christ starts at his human birth and they don't comprehend where he came from and the humiliation he allowed himself to be subjected to. Until we know who he really is and what he really did on the cross for us in spite of who we are, we can never appreciate His love.